Ukungakholwa Kwabakwa-Israyeli Kuyadabukisa
1Ngikhuluma iqiniso ngikuKhristu, angiqambi manga, unembeza wami ufakazelana nami kuMoya oNgcwele, 2ukuthi nginosizi olukhulu nobuhlungu obungapheliyo enhliziyweni yami, 3ngokuba ngangifisa ukuba ngoqalekisiweyo, ngisuswe kuKhristu ngenxa yabazalwane bami abangabakithi ngokobuzwe, 4abangaba-Israyeli, okungesabo isimo sobuntwana nenkazimulo; izivumelwano, ukumiswa komthetho, inkonzo, nezithembiso; 5okungababo okhokho, nadabuka kubo uKhristu ngokwenyama, Yena onguNkulunkulu ophezu kwakho konke, obongekayo kuze kube phakade. Amen.
Abakwa-Israyeli Bakhethwa NguNkulunkulu
6Nokho akusikho ukuthi izwi likaNkulunkulu lehlulekile, ngokuba akusibo bonke abavela ku-Israyeli abangabakwa-Israyeli. 7Akuyibo bonke abawulibo luka-Abhrahama abangabolibo lwakhe loqobo, kodwa ngo-Isaka bayakubizwa ngolibo lwakho.
8Lokhu kusho ukuthi akusibo abantwana ngokwenyama abangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, kodwa labo abangabantwana besithembiso, yibo ababizwa ngabolibo. 9Ngokuba lingesithembiso leli elithi: “Ngizobuya ngalesi sikhathi, uSara uzobe esenendodana.”
10Akuyilokho kuphela, kodwa kwaba kanjalo nakuRibheka owathola abantwana koyedwa, u-Isaka, ukhokho wethu. 11Ngokuba engakazalwa amawele, engakakwenzi okuhle noma okubi, ukuze icebo likaNkulunkulu eliya ngokukhetha lifezeke, 12elingayi ngokwemisebenzi, kodwa ngalowo obizayo, kwashiwo kuye uRibheka ukuthi:
“Omkhulu uyakukhonza omncane,”
13njengalokhu kubhaliwe ukuthi:
“UJakobe ngamthanda,
kodwa u-Esawu ngamzonda.”
14Pho siyakuthini na? Ukuthi kukhona ukungalungi kuNkulunkulu na? Qha nakanye. 15Ngokuba kuMose uthi:
“Ngizakumhawukela engimhawukelayo,
ngimzwele engimzwelayo.”
16Ngakho-ke akuyi ngokuthanda nangokuzikhandla komuntu, kodwa kuya ngesihawu sikaNkulunkulu. 17Ngokuba umbhalo uthi kuFaro: “Ngakuphakamisela khona lokhu, ukuba ngibonakalise amandla ami kuwe nokuba igama lami lishunyayelwe emhlabeni wonke.”
18Ngakho-ke unesihawu kulowo athanda ukumhawukela, umenza lukhuni lowo athanda ukumenza lukhuni.
Intukuthelo Nomusa KaNkulunkulu
19Ngakho-ke nizakuthi kimi: “Kungani pho esasithola sinecala na? Ngokuba ngubani ongamelana naye na?”
20Maye, muntu ndini! Ungubani-ke wena ukuba uqagulisane noNkulunkulu na? Okubunjiweyo kungasho yini kumbumbi ukuthi: “Wangenzelani ngaba njena na?”
21Kambe umbumbi akanamandla yini ukuba esigaxeni esisodwa sebumba enze isitsha esihloniphekayo nesinye esingahloniphekiyo na?
Nabezizwe Bayakukhethwa Ngomusa KaNkulunkulu
22Uma uNkulunkulu ebethanda ukubonakalisa ulaka lwakhe nokuveza amandla akhe, ababekezelela labo ababemiselwe ulaka lwakhe, ukuba babhujiswe, 23ukuze abonakalise ingcebo yenkazimulo yakhe ezitsheni zomusa ayezilungisele inkazimulo ngaphambilini, 24asibizayo nathi phakathi kwabo, hhayi kubaJuda kuphela, kodwa nakubo abezizwe. 25Njengalokhu esho nakuHoziya ethi:
“Ngiyakubiza abangesiso isizwe sami,
ngokuthi yisizwe sami;
nalowo ongathandiwe,
ngokuthi uthandiwe;
26Lokhu kuyokwenzeka endaweni
lapho kwathiwa kubo:
‘Anisibo abantu bami,’
lapho bayakubizwa ngokuthi:
‘Abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’ ”
27U-Izaya wamemeza ngo-Israyeli, wathi:
“Nakuba isibalo sabantu bakwa-Israyeli
singangesihlabathi solwandle,
yinsali eyakusindiswa,
28ngokuba iNkosi iyakufeza
izwi layo emhlabeni;
iyakuliphelelisa futhi ikhawuleze.”
29Nanjengalokhu u-Izaya washo phambilini wathi:
“Ukuba iNkosi Yamabandla
ibingasishiyelanga ulibo,
besiyakuba njengeSodoma,
sibe njengeGomora.”
Ukungakholwa Kwabakwa-Israyeli
30Pho sesiyakuthini na? Siyakuthi abezizwe abangakufunisisanga ukulunga bafumene ukulunga, ukulunga okutholakala ngokukholwa. 31Kepha u-Israyeli, owayelandela umthetho wokulunga, akafinyelelanga kuwo. 32Kungani na? Kungenxa yokuthi babengawulandeli ngokukholwa, kodwa kungemisebenzi; baqhuzuka etsheni lokuqhuzula, 33njengalokhu kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“Bukani, ngibeka eZiyoni itshe lokukhubekisa,
nedwala lokuwisa;
okholwa yilo akayukujabhiswa.”
